Must-see show designjunction in the King's Cross Creative Quarter should be a definite date in your London Design Festival diary

BY SOPHIE DAVIES

One of our top picks for this year's London Design Festival, influential show designjunction (21-24 September 2017) offers a curated edit of up-and-coming and established design talent in north London's King's Cross Creative Quarter. Discover more than 200 exhibitors, including top global furniture, lighting and accessory brands, across five industrial spaces at key hub Granary Square, also home to pop-up shops and intriguing installations. Here's how to navigate #djKX's five show areas, plus a few tips for tipples afterwards!

ABOVE: Flower power is the go at bloomon's floral walkway at Granary Square

Granary SquareAt the heart of designjunction, Granary Square hosts the event's Box Office, housed in three glass pavilions by Remote Possibilities. Book or collect tickets here, or find out the skinny on the show. This central location is also home to flagship projects and installations.

Your camera will thank you for starting at Gateways, by designer Adam Nathaniel Furman for Turkishceramics, which celebrates Turkey's love affair with artisanal tiles. Four tiled, four-metre-high gates – dubbed Classic, Timber, Retro and Metro – will immerse you in colour and pattern, proof of the enduring appeal of ceramics.

ABOVE:Renault – Life Designed unveils new concept car TreZor

Cutting-edge car design is the star at bespoke interactive showcase Renault – Life Designed, which sees the French firm's award-bagging new concept car TreZor unveiled for the first time in the UK under the theme 'Beautiful Life', alongside a collaborative exhibition with Central Saint Martins MA industrial design students sharing ideas for the modular car of the future.

For pastel-hued flower power, check out bloomon's whimsical bloom-decked passage incorporating a secret door to a flower-filled room for intimate workshops and talks. Crafted by the floral delivery service – which sources stock direct from Dutch fields – it should inspire outdoor living ideas, as well as looking a treat on Instagram.

Cubitt House & Cubitt ParkA stellar line-up of international design brands beckons at Granary Square's Cubitt House, displayed within a customised temporary structure, including furniture, lighting and accessories. Be sure to scope out Another Country, Bethan Gray and Deadgood. On the ground-floor you'll find popular show lightjunction, an illuminating mix of decorative lighting and emerging design labels. On the top floor, contract and residential brands present their latest products, especially interesting for trade and industry visitors. Cubitt Park is a new zone for 2017, combining emerging designers, luxury homewares and The Material Collective, a collaboration with SCIN gallery, investigating forward-looking materials.

ABOVE: Inspired by a mutual love of pattern, Kirkby Design x Eley Kishimoto recently presented 11 new wallcoverings to complement their upholstery fabrics, drawing on textural flocks, metallic prints and reflective surfaces. They've teamed up again in new area Cubitt Park to create VIP and press area The Lounge, host to several exhibitions and events

ABOVE: designjunction's retail shopping zone The Canopy

The CrossingExpect installations by the likes of Kirkby Design, surface material maker Corian and OLED lighting specialists Blackbody at The Crossing, a five-storey zone which runs through Granary Building and the entry to Central Saint Martins, joining Cubitt House and The Canopy. This is also where you can spy new and graduate talent at the Rado Star Prize UK, launched for the first time and backed by the design-led Swiss watch brand.

ABOVE FROM TOP: Lighting designer Tala will host a pop-up bar in Granary Square in a vintage car; Campari Creates takes to the water with a red-hued narrowboat bar

Creative cocktailsWorked up a thirst? Channel the spirit of Milan's Navigli canals at Campari Creates, a narrowboat bar dedicated to the iconic red aperitif. An art installation will accompany its two-week residency, alongside creative masterclasses. At Granary Square's Tala Mini Bar, high-end LED lighting bulb designer Tala will take over a refurbished vintage Mini Cooper as an impromptu bar, pouring white ports and tonics. The forest-inspired canopy, formed from 'Voronoi' bulbs, will look especially dazzling after a couple of cocktails...thedesignjunction.co.uk

designjunction London 2017 is at 1 Granary Square, London N1, from Thursday 21 to Sunday 24 September 2017. For an advance ticket deal see our home page or click here for registration, opening hours and visitor information. Tickets are £12 in advance (free for trade), or £15 on the door.

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